


Long Live the King

by RaeValentine



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Coming of Age, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Long-Haired Atem, M/M, Multi, NaNoWriMo, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, shipping comes later i promise, this is just the beginning ok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-14 18:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16497620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeValentine/pseuds/RaeValentine
Summary: The Crown Prince of Khemet must ascend to the throne before the end of the year.He must survive for forty weeks until his coronation as King.Assassination attempts. Romances won and lost. Magic and Intrigue.Nothing that Atem can't handle.[Summary subject to change]





	1. His Royal Highness

**Author's Note:**

> Hewwo? Is anybody out thewe??
> 
> I'm back! After months of doing nothing but working, eating, and sleeping, I decided it was high time I got back into writing. I work as a cashier at a local thrift store, which is always lots of fun. The pay is awful, but the people there are wonderful.
> 
> This fic is based around the game Long Live the Queen, by Hanako Games.  
> I highly recommend looking it up if you've never heard of it, it's great.
> 
> There are multiple endings in the game itself, but for this project, I picked one ending to go for. This is my first year of doing Nanowrimo, so it might be a bit clumsy at the start, but once I get going, I'm sure to deliver my usual flowery prose.
> 
> I claim zero historical accuracy for this fic.
> 
> Sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey! <3

"We're almost home, Atem. Your room is just the way you left it."

His father's words were no comfort; they could not pierce the veil of sadness that stuck to Atem like a thick, noxious honey. 

_Bitterness, topped by a thin veneer of contempt._

Atem shook his head, stepping down from the carriage without the aid of the footman. He was in no mood today to be kind, when the world could not be kind to him.

"I know it's hard to leave your school and all your friends behind," Akhmenkhanen continued, rounding the back of the carriage to come face to face with his only son. "But I've arranged the best possible tutors for every subject."

He wasn't interested in tutors or even being crowned as king at this point. Thoughts of his mother drifted to the forefront of his mind. Her loss was still fresh, leaving a gaping wound in his heart that would not easily mend.

Akhmenkhanen placed a hand on the small of Atem's back, leading him up the castle steps. Atem clenched his fists at his sides and said nothing, even as his father droned on.

"You'll have to work hard this year to prepare yourself before your eighteenth birthday, but I know you can do it. You'll learn quickly, and you'll make a wonderful king." Almost as an afterthought, he murmured: "It's what your mother would have wanted."

Rubber stretched so thin, the breaking point came without Atem being aware.

"This is _not_ what mother would have wanted!" The words burst forth, tumbling past his lips in a heated rush. "She wouldn't have wanted to _die_ and leave me!"

Akhmenkhanen paused, brows furrowing and dark eyes desperately trying to hide the pain he too felt at his wife's passing.

"No. She wouldn't," His words were for Atem's ears only, letting the staff pass them by, carrying their luggage up to their quarters with prompt efficiency. "Sometimes these things happen, and we are left behind to carry on the legacy." His hand moves from Atem's lower back to his shoulder, squeezing gently in fatherly reassurance. "All of Khemet depends on you."

_A deep breath taken into parched lungs._

Inhaling the sweet and salty garden air does little to suppress his temper, but just for a moment, Atem is reminded of his status as the Crown Prince of his country.

Akhmenkhanen smiles, a stiff quirk of his lips. "I will be here to guide you until your coronation, but the decisions you make are ultimately up to you." He gestures forward, into the light of the castle foyer, where already, Atem can smell dinner, wafting out on the meager breeze. "Come, your maids are waiting for you."

There was nothing left but to obey, trudging up the stone stairs with the weight of an entire kingdom bearing down on his young shoulders.


	2. Internal Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone arrives to give Atem a surge of emotion he hadn't felt in years..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have sundays off, so that means that I will definitely be updating then.
> 
> Once my brain wakes up and I find a theme for the chapter titles and such, I'll change them accordingly.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy chapter 2!! <3

The next week rolls by fairly slow, autumn rolling in with the moonlit tide. A cool breeze sweeps the palace grounds, casting leafy whirlwinds of brown and red wherever Atem walked.

His father - now King-Regent of Khemet, and Duke of his own land of Phoenicia - left him to his own devices, preferring instead to attend to his own duties. For Atem, that meant spending his days in relative solitude, which was just fine; it gave him plenty of time to think and focus on his studies.

In the first tutoring session, they tackled internal affairs. Atem learned that until he had children of his own, after his maternal uncle Akhenadin, his cousin Seth was next in line for the throne. 

Seth was hellishly stubborn and still followed in his father's footsteps. In their youth, he and his cousin would spar in mock fights, just to see who would win. More often than not, Seth used his height and weight to his own advantage, overpowering the shorter Atem, whose lithe build did little to help him outmaneuver Seth's long reach.

Thinking about his cousin now left a sore twinge on his heart. They may have had their physical battles, but nothing could outshine one's first love.

His morning class dwindled on into memory, a plethora of notes his only token that it had actually taken place.

***

For the afternoon, another internal affairs session awaited his burdoned mind.

This would prove a more fruitful use of his time than Atem originally thought.

His maternal uncle's wife - the countess of Nubia - claims kinship to the old Nubian line. She originally asked his mother for the title to the duchy; however, no one could verify her lineage. As a compromise, his mother created her brother Duke of Nubia.

It would certainly create an interesting vie for the throne should something happen to Atem. That particular bit of information bothered him, filing it away for another time and place.

***

On his way back from another tiring lecture on the local history, voices broke Atem out of his thoughts.

"What's all that noise outside? Who's here?" he wondered aloud, already turning the next corner. "Oh," Atem murmured, a long drawn out breath leaving his lungs in a faint swoop. 

"Seth."

Tall as he was beautiful, his eyes lit with the fire of a thousand midday skies, and dressed in the cobalt finery of his land, Seth stood somewhat apart from his father. Sunlight sparked off every piece of gold that littered his frame, and Atem wished they were anywhere but _here._

Akhenadin is the first to speak, looking down his nose at Atem, false sympathy dripping with very word that leaves his lips.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother, Atem. She was a lovely woman and a fine queen."

"Thank you, uncle," Atem demures, in no mood to deal with an estranged relative he secretly despised.

"You look well, nephew," Akhenadin continues, false golden eye winking in the afternoon sunshine.

There was always something inherently _wrong_ with that eye; engraved with the sacred _wedjat_ of his people, it seemed to stare right into Atem's very soul.

"Hey, 'Tem."

Atem swallows his pride along with his heart; Seth knew he _hated_ that childhood nickname, and yet here he stood, acting as though time and hundreds of miles hadn't separated them.

"Hello, Seth. It's been awhile." Clasping his hands behind him, Atem stands firm, unwilling to lose an unspoken game. "How long will you be staying?"

Seth shrugs, a quick dip of his shoulders. "Father says we'll be here all month."

An entire _month_ to spend in Seth's company. The thought alone was too good to be true.

_The smell of honeysuckle, the sway of Seth's long hair in the breeze, the itch to be held just one more time._

"Then perhaps we'll have some time to talk later."

A muscle in Atem's cheek twitched, just below the eye. His voice sounded foreign to his own ears, so unlike his normally confident tone and stance.

A grin - silky smooth and Ra-bright - lit up Seth's entire face. 

"We'll see."

Atem bows, like a boy properly bred for the throne of the gods. Leading the way, he shows his uncle and cousin to their chambers and leaves them at peace, chasing his own tattered dreams down another lonely hall.

He ended up outside of his own room, feet trodding the well-worn path of their own accord. Atem needed some time alone to think, and another moment spent in Seth's presence was far too tempting a fruit to reach.

The rest of the weekend was spent in the solitude of his own room, only leaving for breakfast and dinner. If Seth took notice of his cousin's errant behavior, he said nothing. 

Atem would confront his desires in due time. Nothing, not even the gods themselves - resplendent on their heavenly thrones - could deter the next living Horus from following his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> * I'm using actual real names of places that were around at the time of Atem's reign as pharaoh, and even after his death. The ranks and titles, however, come from the LLtQ game itself.
> 
> * Seth is a lil bitch, he can't help himself.
> 
> *Akhenadin is his own trigger warning, but no worries. He gets what's coming to him eventually. [sips tea]
> 
> * Past Seth/Atem is implied here, so if that makes you uncomfortable, I apologize. Gotta have some romanceable options somewhere.
> 
> I'm on tumblr @ doughnutdarling and twitter @donutdarling if you want a heads up on when this thing updates!! Also feel free to scream at me about whatever, my inbox is always open. <3


	3. The Unexpected Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone else rushes into Atem's life, making his pulse quicken and his heart ache for more..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! You get a new chapter fairly early. I'm starting to feel sick, so I doubt I'll be able to write again until thursday, but we'll see what happens.
> 
> I have to scoot off to work, so enjoy chapter 3!! <3

Seth's gravitational pull was nearly inescapable, so Atem all but ignored his cousin for the first week of his stay.

There was a minute chance they would never speak, but Atem was no coward. When he was ready to open that Pandora's box, he would do so gladly.

His next lesson was held in the far tower, on the complete opposite side of the castle from where his cousin was staying.

_Perfect._

He reviews the correct greetings for guests according to rank and when to extend a hand to another.

"All nobles expect their due honors," his tutor says, motioning for Atem to stand.

They practice going over formal greetings, his tutor playing the part of each ranked noble to austere perfection. 

He slowly unspooled, letting the day's worry wash away in ridiculous pleasantries.

***

For the afternoon addition of his lesson in court manners, Atem paid special attention to the bits regarding himself after being crowned king.

As the person of highest rank within the domain, no one may sit at any formal event unless he gives them permission, and no one must ever turn their back on him. If they do, Atem is instructed to interpret that as an insult and act accordingly.

It seemed petty and highly insincere, but in the end, he decided just to use his best judgement and take things as they came.

***

In his free time, Atem enjoyed strolling the castle grounds, letting his mind wander towards whatever pleasant thought he could muster up. In this case, thoughts of his mother kept everything else at bay.

_Voices, coming from the gardens. One deep, rumbling like thunder across the sky. One honey-warm and velvet-soft, low and smooth, so tantalizingly close._

"What's that commotion outside? Father, what's going on?"

The unmistakable timbre of his father's voice rose before falling silent. Rounding the corner hedge, Atem came to an immediate stop, noting the presence of another man.

Cream-colored robes hid most of his tall frame; golden bracers lined the muscles of his arms, thick collar wrapped around the delicate column of his throat.

Atem felt himself swallow, feeling suddenly quite small. The strangers eyes follow the dip of his throat in cool fascination - a predator sizing up its next meal.

"My name is Mahaad. I have come to pay my respects in honor of your mother," he says, punctuating the statement with a proper bow.

Gold winked in the light as he moved; beaten into the shape of a dreamcatcher, the eye of _wedjat_ ever present. It sent shivers down Atem's spine, pointed tines tinkling faintly in the chilled autumn air.

His father's voice cuts the air, rending the silence to scattered shards cast away on the salted breeze.

"You _have_ no respect or honor. It's because of _you_ and your powers that my wife is _dead_!"

"What?!" Atem's heart stuttered, plummeting far past gone at his father's declaration.

Mahaad lets out a breath, something akin to sadness shadowing his mist-cool gaze.

"I am a Lumen, as was she, and like every Lumen, I am willing to give my life if necessary to protect our domain."

His eyes flicker to Atem, faster than a rabbit's beating heart. So quick, Atem was sure to have imagined it. There was so much left unspoken in one simple gesture, it was hard for him to place.

"Your line has been traitors for two hundred years. I won't have you corrupting my son!" Akhmenkhanen punctuates the statement with a slash of his arm, one Atem is familiar enough with to know that this discussion is nearing its end.

"That is for the Crown Prince to decide."

Mahaad remains stoic throughout the entire exchange; unruffled, he challenges Akhmenkhanen with every breath he takes, every steel-cold look, every brush of cloth to skin.

Atem thinks he may have finally laid eyes on divinity in human flesh.

"Atem," Mahaad says, wrapping his name in gold and starlit reverence. "Your mother trusted me, and I have much to teach you."

Atem is conflicted - in more ways than one. On the one hand, he could send this stranger to the dungeons and be done with it. From the sound of things, his powers were bad news, and could possibly get someone hurt.

On the other hand. Someone like him would be immensely useful to have around should something happen and Atem is unable to deal with it himself.

His mind made up, Atem steels himself for what may yet be the decision that defines his future role as king.

"I want to hear what he has to say." Nothing in his voice trembled or betrayed his nature. Something his father ought to be _proud_ of. "He stays."

Akhmenkhanen sighs, breath pooling in a fine mist upon the air, defeat etched in every line of his face.

"As you wish."

***

With Mahaad safely tucked away in a room of his own - the promise of a future visit bright on his horizon - Atem had the rest of the weekend to do as he pleased.

It was high time he paid his cousin a visit.

He found Seth lounging on the windowsill, one arm resting lightly on his knee and staring down into the castle gardens.

"You know," Seth begins, voice tinged with the familiar bite of mischief. "This is a pretty nice room. Not as big as mine back home, but what can you do?" He shrugs, a nonchalant movement that stirs a fire in Atem's gut.

"Nothing else was available--"

Seth cut him off, smooth as silver and sharp as glass.

" _Your_ room is."

Atem scoffed, cheeks tinted pink at the thought.

_If only - the feel of golden skin to skin, lips and languid fingertips exploring at their own ease._

"You should visit more often, then." The words found their way past Atem's lips before he could catch them, teeth sinking into a piece of his bottom lip. "It's awful that the only time I get to see you is... for something like _this_."

Seth finally looks up at him, blue eyes piercing in the late afternoon gloom. "I wish I could," he murmurs, getting to his feet with a surge of his legs.

"Why haven't you been at school?" Atem asks, muscles tensing when his cousin draws near.

_A tilt of his head, long brown locks falling over his shoulder. Carressing clothes and skin where Atem's fingers should be._

"Father worries too much. He doesn't think anywhere but home is safe." Seth shrugs, as if the thought does not concern him in the least. He stops just short of touching Atem, tense like a drawn bowstring and far more likely to snap.

"I understand." Atem sighs, a thin slip of breath in the still air. "I'm probably not going to be allowed to leave this castle until my birthday."

Seth flashes him a grin - playful and wicked in equal measure.

"At least we can have fun while I'm here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> * Each chapter represents one week in the timeline. Atem has morning lessons for a few days, and afternoon lessons for the others. The weekend is reserved entirely for his own free time.
> 
> * You can bet ur booty I'm shoving in some Atem/Mahaad vibes with the rest of the ships.
> 
> * Yugi will show up soon, I promise. Soon as I find a role for the disaster bisexual, then he can be tossed in the romance mix, too.
> 
> A single unit of currency for your thoughts?


End file.
